


Hurry Home

by SyllxMatte



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, No Smut, almost no Casey, hibernation, not so pretty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 08:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16552094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyllxMatte/pseuds/SyllxMatte
Summary: In cold winter, when his friends are away and Donatello is left alone at home, power goes out...





	Hurry Home

 

* * *

 

Across the world summer sunset colours warmed streets orange.  
Freedom at last! - breaches April as she comes out of the museum after a long exhausting day.

After spotting her yellow rented BMW, she gets over to it and in, throws her case on passenger seat, straps a belt and puts phone in the holder. Turns on GPS. A car running, she absent-mindedly checks her phone for the first time since this morning:  
12 new messages and out of them 5 from Donatello, 5 from Casey and 2 from boss.

  
With a fond smile she plays the first one - Casey asks how was her trip and if she really was the one who ordered delivery of that toy (because Don refuses to acknowledge his involvement), Donatello after two messages of asking to what did she change their password remembers to ask her the same.  
As she drives back to the hotel under accommodation of voices of her boyfriends and GPS directions she hums and contemplates her replies.

Pressed reply:  
"Hi, Casey..."

* * *

 

... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.-

  
It is dark outside in the New York. Windows are tightly shut against drafts that somehow still manage to sneeze through.

On the second floor of "Second Time Around" shop Donnie shuddered and covered himself tighter in the blanket without tearing eyes from the laptop screen.  
Heat lamp above him hangs low from ceiling on its spiral cord. Since he basically moved here some additions had to be made.

This winter turned out to be cold - last three days already beat recent records for lowest temperature - and it doesn't seem to be getting any warmer if meteo sites are to be believed.

Seven more days until April is back. As comfortable as Donatello is, lazying under beaming warmth, he would have preferred to have April right here.

Additional warmth, softness and a company. And immediately known password.  
He wistfully smiles.

-... .-. . .- -.-

  
Snow dust sparkled under street-lights.

Wind wouldn't cease its ice wail, ignored by humans and mutants alike from within their homes. Rare, quick figures silently sneak into their cars, in and out and into buildings.

In the gap between curtains can be seen a passed out turtle. He lies under covers on bed with one arm resting on the keyboard and other tucked under his head.

Something crackled in howling wind. World went a little darker. Snow dust became invisible without street-lights in low light of the city smog.

Light glowing in the room went out.  
Cold ever so slowly crept into homes.

* * *

 time skip/ ... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.-

* * *

 

"Hi Donnie, did you get my last message? It is still shown as unread. I thought you wanted that password." - April's voice is teasing. -  
"Anyway. So far everything here is good, I've got a neat deal AND I saw some sights. Seems like I will manage everything within 4 more days so I will be back sooner than we thought.  
I hope you are enjoying your bachelor stay. No Casey, no me - do try to keep blown up things to a minimum. And melted ones. I still don't get how you managed to make T-phone drip down the kitchen sink..."

* * *

... -.- .. / ... -.- .. .--. / ... -.- .. .--.

* * *

  
Up in the second floor bedroom Donatello woke up groggily.  
Time shows it's afternoon, but he doesn't feel like he slept much. He obviously needed a coffee if he wanted to be a functional turtle.

Goal set, he rose up, making sure a draped blanket won't fall off him, and shuffled down the stairs.

Soon Donatello was leaning on a kitchen counter standing before a coffee maker with his mug placed in it. Gripping blanket edges closely to himself he was uncomprehendingly blinking at the coffee machine.

Click.

Nope, second time didn't work either.  
The appliance stood still.

He checked connection - it was plugged.  
Cocked head to the side:  
"I need my coffee. Why.. won't it.. work".  
Still he stood there unmoving.  
A few more slow blinks:  
"What..Oh!"

He went to the light switch.  
Click.  
No change. Now, assured he knew the reason for his coffee delay, he checked second light switch, fridge, went back to the bedroom to check if second part of the grid was affected too...  
stood there a few moments frozen, before remembering what he came for and checking the lights and a heater there. Then went downstairs. And a level lower to the fuse box.

So, yeah, both grids. Easy to fix if it were circuit breakers.

Basic operation seemed to take forever.  
Click. Screech.

No result?  
  
Uncaffeined and exhausted, standing in blanket fallen onto floor to pool around his legs, he tried again:

Click. Click. Screech.

No results. After a few sluggish moments contemplating results he decided to check lights again.

Blanket picked up, the turtle went back upstairs.  
Carefully Donatello peeked out into streets.  
Yeah. Not a single lit light around. Technically. If you don't count these shop decorations but they probably run on...or...run on...  
Donatello let thought die out not wanting to spend next hour listing all particulars of possible neighbour electricity use with that unnecessary thought getting stuck in the circle.

Oh well.

Humans surely will be quick to fix electricity if it affected several blocks.

For now he will have to survive on cold water.  
Turning back from the door he shuffled back to the kitchen.

Shudder.  
Cold was creeping in and now that he knew there is no new heat generated in the house he felt it all the more.

'I need... coffee...I mean water.'  
(a blink)  
'No, not it, I have to call April! Or was it Leo?'  
'Oh well.'  
'After coffee.'

Donatello poured himself a big cup of water and took out coffee can with a table spoon.

Turning shell to counter he leaned on it and cradling the can to the plastron opened it.

"Will do" mumbled turtle to himself around fifth spoon of coffee powder and washing it down with water.

Watered but still cold, Donatello went back up to the bedroom. There he dropped by now useless blanket and went on staring on the wall blankly.

It is cold.  
Too cold!

'Ah, yes, we had a hand heater.  
Would work for a couple of hours before ConEd will turn power back up.'

... -- .- .-.. .-.. / - .. -- . / ... -.- .. .--.

With portable heater cupped in hands, held closely to face, Donnie burrows under extra blankets. Being cold-blooded and not generating any heat for himself makes blankets much less useful than they are for humans.

"Then they are for April" mouths Donnie.  
"Speaking of... where is it?"

Donnie dug out a phone and started to type message:  
'Our elwtricity was' a yawn 'shown down for a time - otherwise all the same, cant wait for you to return.'  
\----  
send  
\----

He is drowsy and tired enough to sleep until electricity would turn back. Turtle is only too glad to not suffer through extra cold. He never pressed "send".

* * *

 

... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.-

* * *

 

 

It was pretty warm in Australia at this time of the year so April shudders when she comes out from the plane.

In another country they don't get frequent USA weather notifications. And when they do these numbers don't say much: it was cold when she went to get groceries, buying full cart of slow-to-expire products for her friend for when she won't be around. It was cold then and it is cold now. And going to be cold tomorrow too according to the forecast.

That was well within expectations.

Slightly more outside expectations was getting again an auto-reply to her call:  
"Hello, you've reached Donatello Hamato. Leave your message and I will get right back to you. If it is about promotions you'll wish I didn't."

"Hi Donnie. I am back at least! On my way. So pretty soon I am going to be there chew you out for not answering your phone again! Prepare."

April threatened him but in truth she was getting worried since yesterday. One-two days without response is a usual thing if nobody is on a mission, but now, after a flight it is what? Four? And as luck would have it no one into mutant secret was easily available to check before she arrived.

At least she was now close to see Donnie for herself. She was exhausted and was looking forward to getting into her own bed.

... .... --- .-. - / - .. -- . / ... -.- .. .--.

  
Keys jingled as she opens the door. Switches light on, takes off a heavy coat. Feels heavy herself.

Jetlag.  
Now she just wanted to curl up with her friend on a bed and rest.  
"Sleep calls~" she quietly sang to herself.

In the bedroom she sees a lump in her bed, green snout sticking out from under covers.  
With how little he sleeps she decided she is glad to see him like this.  
She will grill him tomorrow about missing her calls.

Quietly not to wake up the ninja she goes back to wash her hands.  
Now that she was less flushed from the outside, she starts to feel that heater at home must have been switched off.  
Checked.  
Yes, she was right.  
Strange. Why would Donnie turn it off?  
She turns it up to the full blast, brings 3 extra blankets, changes into sleeping shorts in record time, and slips into the bed with Donnie.

Once comfy, she reaches forward to drape her hand over her boyfriend's shell and shudders.  
He is a cold blooded creature. She is used to him being colder, snuggling to her heat.  
Colder, but not as cold as he is now. Apartment definitely should have been heated better.  
Honestly, how can you sleep when you are so cold!?  
She shifts more to press closer to share her warmth and prepares to sleep when they both will be warmer.

She grew to like to lie and listen to soft whistle from Donnie's breathing. On this trip she discovered she now had a hard time falling asleep not hearing it.  
Hotel nights were much longer than usual. Not to mention much less enjoyable.

But now she is home, and...  
There is no sound from Donnie.  
No whistle.

She huffs. These blankets covering him prevent the sound.  
Presses closer to hear from underneath covers, reaches arm over him..

..and quickly draws it back.  
Wrong! What did she touch? It definitely felt like something different from his muscular arm.

Now unsure she draws her hand over his arm. Only to find texture all wrong, underneath a thin layer of skin she easily feels all bones of his shoulder joint, his dry flesh hanging, loosely attached to his bones and freely moving.  
This should be humerus - her finders fall into unexpected deep dip in his forearm - and this must be ulna and radius... wait what am I thinking!?!

She quickly sits up and turns on nightstand light.

With covers thrown away, in dim light she sees what she was lying with.

Scales too dark, eyes shrunken and deep in the eye sockets, prominent beak, wrinkly lips stretched over it showing off teeth, fallen cheeks, thin thin neck connecting too huge for it head lies slightly bent on a pillow.  
Arms and legs look like twigs with all muscles withered into nothing, almost empty skin lays flabby over prominent bones. She can see how far away tibia and fibula are in his lower legs, making them much wider than his tights...  
He looks like a mummy without bandages.

She can't help but scream.  
For a moment she is just scared.

Then she also panics:  
"Donnie? What happened?"  
She knows it is a stupid question, there is nobody to answer.

It is scary to touch him, and not just because he looks more as a monster than usual.  
...she is afraid to damage his body in such state.

Slight tender touch to cold scales and she draws her hand back:  
"No, no, I can't."

She panics. In between frantic thoughts she says to herself that she allows herself only a few necessary minutes to panic.

Light now is fully on as she paces bedroom.

"...okay, it is not okay but April, get a grip, oh my God he is lying here and does not move, and I went to sleep with him, and he is just lying here and does not! Oh my god, oh my God, no, no, no, this is not happening, he is a corpse, okay April, it is not okay, you have, have to get a grip of yourself now, right now and check him and call his brothers!"

She kneels down before prone form. Hovers hands above him but does not touch.  
In her shadow he does not look so bad...  
She turns her ear close to his mouth.  
Listens. Hears nothing.

But maybe she is mistaken (she does not believe she is).  
Smells him. Well. Washed sewer turtle. Would have he smelt differently if he was..?

She does not know.  
Now more used to the sight of him she hesitantly touches his shoulders, and when she is sure he is not rigid gets a firmer grip.  
Shakes.

Of course he does not wake up.  
She takes his limp hand in hers, watching how loose skin lightly swings on his bones.

* * *

 

-... .. --. / ...- . .-. -.-- / -... .. --. / ... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.- / -- .- -.-- -... . / -. --- - / .- ... / .-.. --- -. --. / .- ... / --- -. . / -... . ..-. --- .-. . / .- .--. .-. .. .-.. / --. --- - / -... .- -.-. -.- / - .... .-. --- ..- --. .... / -- .- -.-- -... .

* * *

 

 

 

The bedroom above "Second Time Around" store is dark and empty.

Now, a bathroom and corridor are a different story.

Casey approaches bathroom door with complain:  
"Hey, Red, how come you don't have any real coffee left." he opens a door into bathroom.  
"Oh, wow, this place is hot. Sauna hot. I'll never get used to it."

"Hopefully you won't have to."

Hot tap water pours into bathtub.  
April stands in the middle of bathroom, holding a flat transparent plastic container and stirring its contents with chopsticks.

Then lifts chopsticks holding a long wriggling worm and turns back to the bathtub:

"Say aaah."

Mutant turtle in the tub weakly opens misty eyes, detects an offering moving before his beak and instinctively extends his neck forward to catch squirming meal.  
Once he has it in his beak he sucks up the rest of the worm sticking out of his mouth.  
Then slowly leans back, head soon lolling to the side on inflatable bus pillow around his neck. IV bag hangs from a mirror shelf, transparent fluid dipping down its tube into his arm.

Casey watches proceedings leaning on the door frame.

"How is he?"

  
"How do you think?"

"I thought he was getting better, but he looks actually worse than yesterday. And the day before. And worse than on Monday."

April catches another worm:  
"Wake up Donnie! Another one... " and continues to Casey: "Yeah, I'm not surprised... because someone here"  - she stressed out 'here' - "thought he just _had_ to spend their hard-earned strength by crawling all the way down into kitchen like a zombie and then eating" - this time she stresses 'eating' - "all what we had left of the coffee."

Casey laughs.  
"Oh wait, no, really? But I thought he couldn't eat human food right now. Actually I thought he couldn't get up right now. Even sit above the water. This is why we've got these kinky bondage ropes holding him."

"Donnie, now an algae. Almost finished." calls April, holding green piece in front of him. By now turtle looks more lucid, arisen from his stupor by talking. Head still supported by the pillow he rolls his eyes to see human in the doorway.

"Hi Casey. Oh no, not algae Apr... " if they stained they could almost make out what Donatello was saying.

"Focus! This time it is a tasty algae, I promise." April waves the piece before him and he obediently opens his mouth.  
Then he focuses on his arm hanging over tub side and lightly moves it as if to raise it.  
"This...I suppose I should thank Casey, for this."

Besides IV port, three scrapes he managed to receive on his midnight kitchen trip are covered by Disney princess band-aids.

"Hey! You look totally cool! I'd let you know they are all rage. It was a noble sacrifice from my part. My sister would have loved to have these!"

As Casey talks Donatello's head hangs all lower and lower, closer to the surface of the water. Rope bound to bathtub legs and across his plastron stains to hold his weight.  
"Sure" - turtle mutters - "like 12 years ago maybe..."

"She will always be my baby sis, dude."

April rightens Donnie backward and offers another algae piece:  
"You deserve such decorations for your expedition. You should have known better."

"I know..I knew" - this mumble is even quieter - "I was just so..." - they couldn't make out the rest of his excuse.

"Algae!"  warns April. His mouth is open and she sticks green slimy piece into it.  "Hey, it's okay, just don't scare me like that anymore..going out of your tub by yourself.. " April waves next worm before turtle's beak but gets no reaction:  
"Don? Donnie?"

"Is he?"

She places down the can and carefully adjusts turtles head to lie on the side of the pillow.  
"Yeah, all conked out. He did stay awake for almost his whole meal."

April opens turtle's mouth to check if he shallowed all his food. Sighs, lifts chopsticks and fishes back out a green piece. A string of droll stretches after it.

"Ewww Ape now this is what I wouldn't try ever."

"Oh really? I don't know. After watching your make out sessions ..I am sure you could learn to love the taste."

April drops algae and lifts a worm from almost empty can.  
Takes a step to Casey. Then another. Raises it to his face.  
"Want to try?"  
"Wha, what Red?" - he leans back as far as he can without actually taking a step. - "No, take it away. Gross. Honestly."  
He pushes her hand away from his mouth.

April is amused  
"What, not bloody enough for it to be considered metal?"

"You know it. Bloody steaks are the best. This thing? So tiny, Casey does not eat things that have nothing to bit upon."

April places worm back and closes lid. Then lingers by the tub until it fills with enough water and closes tap.

"Honestly I am just glad we moved onto solid food from smoothies. The smell from heated mix... I actually had to use a perfumed scarf."

"He is getting better. If he managed to get out. And his eyes were more clear today. I could tell now that he actually sees me."

April looks critically over her patient, appreciating how his arms and legs filled back with flesh.  
Wipes his mouth from mutant turtle droll. It is not as wrinkly anymore, beak not as prominent as just a few days ago. She is so glad.  
Cold left him unable to wake up to get food for almost four days before she arrived back. Then while they were figuring out what to do... All the while his mutated body's metabolism didn't slow down at all. They had to consult Dr. Rockwell who quickly ordered to move turtle into warm (hot really) water and put Donatello on intravenous feeding. Still turtle wouldn't wake up for two days, scaring everyone even more. Mutant chimpanzee assured her that he _was_ recovering even if it didn't seem so at the start.

"Well this is it for the day."

She leans down with a soft closed mouth kiss.

As she walks away, Casey comes into bathroom to grip brightly covered hand. He is pretty sure April put much more princesses than scratches demanded in retaliation to scaring her by being delirious idiot.

"Get better, Don, get better quick."

* * *

\- .... .. ... / .. ... / .. - / - .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..- / ..-. --- .-. / .-. . .- -.. .. -. --. / .-. .- .--. .... / .-- .- ... / .- .-- .- -.-- / .-- .. - .... / -.-. .- ... . -.-- / --- -. / .- / - .-. .. .--. / - --- --- / .-.. . --- / .-- .- ... / .. -. / .-.. .- .. .-. / .-.. --- --- -.- .. -. --. / .- ..-. - . .-. / ... .--. .-.. .. -. - . .-. / .-- .. - .... / -. --- / .-. . -.-. . .--. - .. --- -. / ... .--. .-.. .. -. - . .-. / .. ... / .- .-.. .. ...- . / .. -. / - .... .. ... / ...- . .-. ... .. --- -. / .- .-.. .. ...- . / -... ..- - / --- .-.. -.. / .- -. -.. / .-.. . --- / .-- .- ... / ... ..- .-. .--. .-. .. ... . -.. / - .... .- - / .- ... / -.- .. -.. ... / - .... . -.-- / ... ..- ..-. ..-. . .-. . -.. / ... .. -- .. .-.. .- .-. .-.. -.-- / .--- ..- ... - / --- -. .-.. -.-- / ..-. --- .-. / ..-. . .-- / .... --- ..- .-. ... / .- - / .- / - .. -- . / - .... . -.-- / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / -.-. .-. .- .-- .-.. / .- .-- .- -.-- / .- -. -.. / .-.. .- - . .-. / .-. .- - / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / ..-. .. -. -.. / - .... . -- / .- .-.. .-.. / - --- --- / ... .-.. . . .--. -.-- / - --- / -... . / -. --- .-. -- .- .-.. / .. -. / .... .. ... / ... - --- .-. .. . ... / ... .--. .-.. .. -. - . .-. / -. . ...- . .-. / ... .... --- .-- -. / .... --- .-- / -.. .- -. --. . .-. --- ..- ... / .. - / -.-. --- ..- .-.. -.. / -... . -.-. --- -- . / ... --- / - .... . -.-- / -. . ...- . .-. / -- .- -.. . / .- / -.-. --- -. -. . -.-. - .. --- -. / .- -. -.. / .-- . .-. . / ... ..- .-. .--. .-. .. ... . -.. / - .... .. ... / .. ... / .-- .... .- - / .... . / -- . .- -. - / .. -. / .... .. ... / ... - --- .-. .. . ... / -... ..- - / .-- .... . -. / .... . / .... . .- .-. -.. / -.. . ... -.-. .-. .. .--. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.. --- -. / .... . / .. -. ... - .- -. - .-.. -.-- / ... ..- --. --. . ... - . -.. / .-- .... .- - / .... .- .--. .--. . -. . -.. / - .... .- - / ... .- ...- . -.. / - .. -- .

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is it.  
> Thank you for the reading.  
> I tried to make it at least slightly scary. Did I succeed?


End file.
